Essay Abstract
The question of the ultimate limits of physics can be construed in two different, but closely related, senses: as (1) What is ultimately knowable in physics? and as (2) What is ultimately doable in our physical environment? I argue that, while we may soon have understood the origin of what is conventionally meant by "physics"--a particular low-energy limit ("vacuum") of the string theory or any alternative unified field theory--such knowledge needs to be supplemented by a complete understanding of the observation-selection effects. In particular, precise determination of the habitable region in the parameter space will enable us to explain the very origin of physics in naturalistic terms and, thus, circumscribe all possible physics knowledge. Precise cartography of this huge Archipelago will enable the act of ultimate engineering: transcending effective dynamical laws and modifying entire spacetimes for the benefit of self-aware substructures (i.e., observers).
Author Bio
Milan M. Cirkovic obtained PhD in physics from the State University of New York at Stony Brook, and currently is a senior researcher at the Astronomical Observatory of Belgrade. His primary research interests are in the fields of astrobiology, astrophysics (in particular baryonic dark matter and physics of galaxies), philosophy of science, and future studies. He co-edited the anthology on Global Catastrophic Risks (Oxford University Press, 2008), wrote two monographs, about 100 research papers, and translated several books, including titles by Richard P. Feynman and Sir Roger Penrose.